Volunteers needed for the 2017 Tour de Cure on Saturday June 10th

The Rochester Amateur Radio Association is looking for help with the 2017 Tour de Cure event. They are presently short about 25 Ham radio operators!  Other area clubs like SIARC and Drumlins are also helping to support this event.



The event is Saturday, June 10th, running from around 6 am to 5pm.  All day help is greatly appreciated, but if you can only help half a day, that will also be a great help.

There is also a need for non-Ham volunteers for jobs such as phone operators and directing riders at rest stops.

If you can help, even for part of the day, go to the following websites and sign up ASAP.

Thank you very much for your help.

For Ham Radio volunteers, go to:  http://www.rochesterham.org/public_service.htm  and click on "Sign Up" next to Tour de Cure and filll out the form. Also feel free to contact SIARC -inquires or volunteers contact Tom  KB2NCI:  sanders5@frontiernet.net

For other volunteers, go to:  http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=informational&fr_id=11691&type=fr_informational&sid=23771

Cortland Hamfest - June 10th, 2017

The Skyline Amateur Radio Club will host their 35th annual Cortland Hamfest.

Date: Saturday June 10, 2017
Time: 7:00AM 'till noon
Location: Cortland County Fairgrounds, 4849 Fairgrounds Dr, Cortland NY. Enter from Fisher Ave. Admission is $5.00, 12 and under free.

20 indoor flea market spaces are available for $5.00 per 10' space, first come first served. Outdoor flea market is free.

VE testing will be held for all levels beginning at 9:00AM, with no late entry allowed. Bring a driver's license or passport for ID, the $15.00 exam fee, and two number 2 pencils with eraser. Calculators are allowed with all memories wiped clean.

Food will be provided by the Cortland 4-H

RW Antenna Store and Al-tech Electronics will be there. RW Antenna Store has expanded their line, and is taking pre-orders to deliver to you at the 'fest; e-mail Sales@RWAntennaStore.com or call them at 716-434-9216

We hope to see you there!
--
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Andrew C Slaugh KB2LUV

2017 Boilermaker Communications - can you help?

Are you interested in volunteering for the 2017 Boilermaker 15K running race in Utica?

Learn more about this event at: http://www.boilermaker.com/

We are in the process of filling in the first draft of our roster to the Boilermaker. We have several openings and we need to add additional operators...

We are looking for anyone in the area interested in volunteering for the 2017 Boilermaker 15K race.... Sunday Morning July 9, 2017........We have several operator openings.......A great opportunity to see the race up close......There is a Big Volunteer party Friday Evening (about 3000 volunteers will be there) and also a Hugh post race party on the  West End Brewery grounds (a mad house :-) after the race...
OH YEAH.....I forgot to mention...The tee shirts are really neat this year and everybody has to be at their station by 6:30 AM :-(...with a maximum of 4 hrs depending on your position.)

For all the details, please give Bob Decker (AA2CU) a call at 315-797-6614 or call Bud at 315-735-8798 or e-mail me at budw2gln@aol.com

Rochester Hamfest 2017 - June 3rd

more info at: http://www.rochesterham.org/Hamfest.htm

Adirondack Blackfly Challenge 2017 - looking for radio volunteers

The Black Fly Challenge is a 40-mile destination (one-way) gravel grinder bicycle race that attracts both serious racers and recreational riders on cyclocross and mountain bikes. It also attracts some serious adventurists, riding unicyles and 3-seat bikes. Over half the BFC race course includes gravel roads through the wild & scenic Moose River Recreation Area between Inlet and Indian Lake with some pavement and/or singletrack at either end. It is a difficult area for communications, as much of the route has no Cellphone coverage, no public safety and no services.

So we are looking for experienced Amateur radio operators willing to participate on Saturday, June 10th. The race starts from Inlet NY this year. We have many locations with as much or as little challenge as you desire. We use a mixture of VHF Simplex and Repeaters (on Blue, Gore and McCauley Mountains) mostly requiring high power and careful selection of antenna and installation.

Balloon Launch today across Upstate NY

Rochester area HAMS/Fwd: Those to the east in NYState

High Altitude Balloon Instrumentation Platform – HABIP Launch

Rochester Institute of Technology

When: Saturday 04/29/17 J/F lots; launch 9-10am; flight 10am-1pm.
Follow live video stream at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmh2Qno99ZuXiUr10Ml-xRg
Receive the live HAM ATV video stream at 434.000 MHz, equivalent to cable channel 59. Follow flight path at: http://aprs.fi Search call sign: W2RIT-11
Predicted flight path: about 90 miles East of Rochester, NY.
Telemetry up/down links: 144.910 MHz; please do not transmit on this frequency during the mission – thx.
Live text based updates at:
http://edge.rit.edu/edge/P17104/public/Integrated%20System%20Build%20%26%20Test%20with%20Customer%20Demo?rev=0
More information about these two senior design projects at:
http://edge.rit.edu/edge/P17104/public/Home http://edge.rit.edu/edge/P17105/public/Home

Specific for HAM radio operators:
We will monitor the payload from our station on the RIT campus. However, if the payload will leave our range, we appreciate any video stream or telemetry recordings. Our HAM radio communicator, HAMCOM, will ask for these if necessary.

W2RIT with be monitoring RIT Repeaters 442.075/147.075 PL 110.9
NYState-wide 444.55 PL 110.9

from Jim - W2COP

SAVE THE DATE - CNY Ham Radio Breakfast on Saturday June 17th

Thanks to K2WOP; Curt, has set a summer date to get a breakfast scheduled and the event is open to ALL local Hams. It will be Saturday, June 17th, 2017 at 8:30 am. This is a great chance to meet up with some of the folks you talk to on the air, but possibly have never met in person. Come on all you drive time radio jockeys, "6M QCWA Netters", CNY SWAP and Hobby Net check-ins - we hope to see you all there.

Location: The "Finally Ours Diner" is at 3788 West Seneca Turnpike, at the corner with Cedarville Rd. in the Onondaga Hill area of Syracuse (see directions here: http://finallyoursdiner.com/hours-contact ).

Questions? contact Curt; K2WOP on the 146.67 repeater.

Finally Ours Diner link: http://finallyoursdiner.com 

Thousand Islands Repeater Club Hamfest - May 20th, 2017

Drumlins Hamfest on April 22, 2017

Drumlins Hamfest is just two weeks away!  More info at: http://drumlinsarc.us/hamfest-info/

More Hamfests at:
http://www.upstateham.com/p/2014-upstate-hamfests-that-i-have-heard.html

Spring 2017 SkyWarn Training classes

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Binghamton has started spring SkyWarn training. They have both on-line and local training classes available. I can personally speak of the great job the NWS Binghamton office does with this training. (Buffalo and Albany offices are also doing spring training - see their websites for details)

What is SKYWARN?
The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

More on SkyWarn and Amateur Radio: http://www.upstateham.com/p/skywarn.html

See the BGM NOAA-SkyWarn Training schedule here: http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining

Fusion NET and other Fusion updates...

Tuesday March 28, 2017 at 8PM, there will be a Fusion NET on the 145.29 W2XRX repeater (Canadice, NY) in Wires-X room #21704.  The purpose will be to discuss Fusion news, equipment, Wires-X, tips, etc.  Check-ins are encouraged from all CNY/WNY Fusion stations. The WN8Z 147.39 Fusion repeater in Fulton will also have access to this NET. All you Fusion folks should check it out. The mode will be digital narrow "DN".  The NET will be hosted by K2AS; Brian.

Other local Fusion news:

-  From WN8Z; Pat - Also a very informative net (Wires-X Technical Net) is held on the MinWis room on Monday evenings @ 8:30 pm that has been carried on the 147.39 the past several weeks. Past subjects have covered the Fusion repeaters, a two part series,  the structure of the Wires-X network. firmware updates and any technical subjects brought up by users. Chris, K9EQ has worked with Yaesu's digital systems since the beta program and has met personally with the owner of Yaesu. He is by far one of the most knowledgeable  digital gurus I have met on the air. This Monday Chris will cover the FT-991. If you get a chance to listen you won't regret missing your favorite tv show. I link in every Monday to this NET.

On Saturdays the 147.39 is linked into the America Link room where the International Wires-X net is held at 9pm. Be warned - it is a lengthy net with check ins from across the globe. Last week over 170 stations checked in.

- LARC has also purchased and installed a Yaesu Wires-X system and it is now operational full time on the 443.300MHz  (changed to) 146.91 Fusion repeater in Syracuse.

- Some good Fusion information:
https://www.hamoperator.com/Hamoperator/Fusion_Help.html

AM Rally, April 1-3 ("No fooling")

Ever wonder what that “AM” button is for on your transceiver? Well, if you don’t know about full-carrier amplitude modulation (AM) or have never used it on the air, you’ll get the chance during the AM Rally, April 1-3, on the HF bands between 160 and 10 meters (except 30, 17, and 12 meters) plus 6 meters. Amateur Radio voice-mode transmissions on the HF bands into the 1960s were AM, the same mode that used to predominate in radio broadcasting. Single-sideband (SSB), a form of AM, gradually took over the phone bands, although not without some pushback!

Today, a group of dedicated radio amateurs keeps the magic flame alive, getting on AM frequently, and for many of them, AM is their primary operating mode. The AM Rally gives the uninitiated a chance to dip a toe into the pool, so to speak.

A cooperative event organized by AM, SSB, and, yes, even CW operators, the AM Rally aims to encourage fellow operators to take this “sister mode” for a spin, make a few contacts, and have a shot at earning some nice certificates.

LARC Extra class for tonight (3/14/17) is canceled

I would appreciate any help in getting this message out.

Because of the impending poor weather, the  Liverpool Amateur Radio Club - Amateur Extra Class scheduled for tonite, March 14th will be cancelled.  We will start the class next
Tuesday, March 21st and discuss how we will arrange to cover the missed
materials.  Thank you and stay safe this evening.

Pete

K2VGN

LARC meeting on March 23rd

The March LARC Bootcamp presentation will discuss integrating Raspberry Pi into Amateur Radio.
The topic of the general meeting will be Electrical Safety.  Boot camp meets at 6:15 pm, and VE testing starts at 5:30 pm. Club Meeting follows at 7pm. 

The Liverpool Amateur Radio club meets at 700 South Bay Road in North Syracuse, New York in the North Syracuse Community Center. 

Learn More at: http://www.w2cm.com/

We lost a good friend this week..........

The CNY Amateur Radio community lost a good friend this week. Chuck Silvia; KB2DIO, passed away on Sunday, February 26th, 2017. Our condolences go out to his family, we know how much he will be missed!

Chuck was active in many local groups and on our Upstate repeaters for many years. Most recently, you could find Chuck as a consistent check-in on many of the local NET's. He was the "king" of packet radio for many years. He also loved to mess with PC's and had become an addict (his own words; LOL!) and power user of the Internet.  Chuck loved to share his experience and interests in the latest technologies with other Hams. He mentored many a new Ham on topics from radios to repeaters, to antennas.

He was truly an expert with using commercial LMR gear on the VHF and UHF ham bands. Motorola, Kenwood, Bendix-King were all his favorites. He had the software and cables to program almost any of them. He was always willing to loan a cable or the software to get you on the air.

I have a lot of gear in the shack that I bought or traded from Chuck. He was always trying new radios and antennas and when the novelty wore off, he was ready to peddle them off and move to something else. He usually had a truck load of gear to sell and stories to tell at the local hamfests!...and Chuck always stood behind his deals and was more than fair with us all.

Chuck was also a proud Vietnam Veteran. He told me many stories of his role as a communication specialist in the Army. Chuck was very proud of his country and had strong views on keeping it strong and safe!

I hadn't talked to Chuck much since the holidays, but Saturday I dropped my call out on a local repeater and Chuck came right back to me. We had an extended QSO like we had many so many times before. I think he enjoyed these extended discussions as much as I did. When I received the sad news Monday morning, the first thing to come to mind was how blessed I was to have had that last QSO with Mr. KB2DIO.

Chuck....you will be missed! RIP buddy!!!

73 - Tony; KC2VER

A bio Chuck shared with me through LinkedIn:
Amateur radio operator - 25+ years!
Member of Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club (past President)
Member of Yankee Air Pirates (Founder) (Radio)
Member of Dill's Landing Wireless Society (founding member)
Retired from Crucible steel
US Army 1965-1968


(Please feel free to leave your comments or memories here in memorial to our friend Chuck)